Shobha Gurtu
Encyclopedia
Shobha Gurtu (1925 – 2004) was an India
n singer in the light Hindustani classical
style. Though she had equal command over pure classical style, it was with light classical music that she received her fame, and in time came to be known as the Thumri
Queen, and for the ‘Abhinaya’ ang in her full-throated voice
, (present Karnataka
) in 1925, she was first trained by her mother Menekabai Shirodkar, a professional dancer, and a 'gayaki' disciple of Ustad Alladiya Khan
of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana
.
, the founder of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana
in Kolhapur, from whom her mother was learning at the time, while she was still a younger girl, and seeing her talent, Ustad Bhurji Khan’s family immediately took a liking of her, and she started spending long hours with them. Her ties with the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana
were to strengthen still, when she started learning from, Ustad Alladiya Khan’s nephew Ustad Natthan Khan; though she really came into her own under the tutelage of Ustad Ghamman Khan, who came stay with their family in Mumbai, to teach her mother thumri-dadra and other semi-classical forms.
Shobha Gurtu specialized in semi classical forms as thumri
, dadra, Kajri, Hori etc., effortlessly adding pure classical passages into her singing, thus creating a new form, and reviving the magic of forms like, Thumri, of which she became a greatest exponent in time. She was particularly influenced by singer Begum Akhtar
and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
She also performed music in Marathi
and Hindi cinema. As a playback singer
, she first worked in Kamaal Amrohi’s film, Pakeezah
(1972), followed by Phagun
(1973), where she sang, ‘Bedardi ban gaye koi jaao manaao more saiyyaan’. She earned a Filmfare
nomination as Best Female Playback Singer for the song "Saiyyan Rooth Gaye" from the hit film Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki
(1978). In Marathi cinema
she sang for films like Saamna and Lal Mati.
Over the years, she travelled all over the world for concerts, including at one the Carnegie Hall
, New York City
, performing alongside musical greats and, Pt. Birju Maharaj
. She often lend her voice the collaborative jazz albums, of her son Trilok Gurtu. In 2000, she featured in the Jana Gana Mana Video
, which was released to mark the 50th year of the Indian Republic, where she sang the Indian National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana
, along with other leading classical singers and musicians of India.
In 1987, she received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
, and later awarded the Lata Mangeshkar Puraskar, Shahu Maharaj Puraskar and the Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar. In 2002, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan
.
After reigning over Hindustani classical music
genre, for five decades, as the Queen of Thumri, Shobha Gurtu died on 27 September 2004, and was survived by her two sons.
Her son Trilok Gurtu is a famed percussionist. Her other son is Narendra.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n singer in the light Hindustani classical
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
style. Though she had equal command over pure classical style, it was with light classical music that she received her fame, and in time came to be known as the Thumri
Thumri
Thumri is a common genre of semi-classical Indian music.The text is romantic or devotional in nature, and usually revolves around a girl's love for Krishna. The lyrics are usually in Uttar Pradesh dialects of Hindi called Poorbi and Brij Bhasha...
Queen, and for the ‘Abhinaya’ ang in her full-throated voice
Early life and background
Bhanumati Shirodkar was born in BelgaumBelgaum
Belgaum is a city and a municipal corporation in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the fourth largest city of the state of Karnataka, the first three being Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad....
, (present Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
) in 1925, she was first trained by her mother Menekabai Shirodkar, a professional dancer, and a 'gayaki' disciple of Ustad Alladiya Khan
Ustad Alladiya Khan
Alladiya Khan was an Indian classical singer, known as "Gaan Samraat" . Khan founded the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana based on the Agra gharana. He is also recognized for his revival and creations of many ragas....
of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana
Jaipur-Atrauli gharana
The Jaipur-Atrauli gharana is a Khayal-based stylized singing family-hood , founded by Utd. Alladiya Khan in the late 19th century...
.
Career
Though her formal music training began with ‘Ustad Bhurji Khan’, the youngest son of Ustad Alladiya KhanUstad Alladiya Khan
Alladiya Khan was an Indian classical singer, known as "Gaan Samraat" . Khan founded the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana based on the Agra gharana. He is also recognized for his revival and creations of many ragas....
, the founder of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana
Jaipur-Atrauli gharana
The Jaipur-Atrauli gharana is a Khayal-based stylized singing family-hood , founded by Utd. Alladiya Khan in the late 19th century...
in Kolhapur, from whom her mother was learning at the time, while she was still a younger girl, and seeing her talent, Ustad Bhurji Khan’s family immediately took a liking of her, and she started spending long hours with them. Her ties with the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana
Jaipur-Atrauli gharana
The Jaipur-Atrauli gharana is a Khayal-based stylized singing family-hood , founded by Utd. Alladiya Khan in the late 19th century...
were to strengthen still, when she started learning from, Ustad Alladiya Khan’s nephew Ustad Natthan Khan; though she really came into her own under the tutelage of Ustad Ghamman Khan, who came stay with their family in Mumbai, to teach her mother thumri-dadra and other semi-classical forms.
Shobha Gurtu specialized in semi classical forms as thumri
Thumri
Thumri is a common genre of semi-classical Indian music.The text is romantic or devotional in nature, and usually revolves around a girl's love for Krishna. The lyrics are usually in Uttar Pradesh dialects of Hindi called Poorbi and Brij Bhasha...
, dadra, Kajri, Hori etc., effortlessly adding pure classical passages into her singing, thus creating a new form, and reviving the magic of forms like, Thumri, of which she became a greatest exponent in time. She was particularly influenced by singer Begum Akhtar
Begum Akhtar
Akhtari Bai Faizabadi or Begum Akhtar was a well known Indian singer of Ghazal, Dadra and Thumri.She received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for vocal music, and was awarded Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by Govt. of India...
and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
She also performed music in Marathi
Marathi cinema
Marathi cinema refers to films produced in the Marathi language in the state of Maharashtra, India. It is the oldest and pioneer film industry in India...
and Hindi cinema. As a playback singer
Playback singer
A playback singer is a singer whose singing is prerecorded for use in movies. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras, while the actual singer does not appear on screen.-South Asia:...
, she first worked in Kamaal Amrohi’s film, Pakeezah
Pakeezah
Pakeezah is a 1972 Indian film. It was directed by Kamal Amrohi who was known for his perfectionism. The music is by Ghulam Mohammed and Naushad...
(1972), followed by Phagun
Phagun (1973 film)
Phagun, also a 1958 film.Phagun is a 1973 Hindi film written and directed by Rajinder Singh Bedi, and starring Dharmendra, Waheeda Rehman, Jaya Bhaduri and Vijay Arora as leads.This offbeat romantic drama has memorable songs by S.D...
(1973), where she sang, ‘Bedardi ban gaye koi jaao manaao more saiyyaan’. She earned a Filmfare
Filmfare
Filmfare is an English-language tabloid-sized magazine about Indian cinema. Published by The Times Group, India's largest media services conglomerate, in Mumbai , it highlights the doings of the Bollywood film scene...
nomination as Best Female Playback Singer for the song "Saiyyan Rooth Gaye" from the hit film Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki
Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki
Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki is a 1978 Indian film directed by Raj Khosla and Sudesh Issar. Based on a Marathi novel titled Ashi Tujhi Preet by famous Marathi storywriter Chandrakant Kakodkar .-Plot :...
(1978). In Marathi cinema
Marathi cinema
Marathi cinema refers to films produced in the Marathi language in the state of Maharashtra, India. It is the oldest and pioneer film industry in India...
she sang for films like Saamna and Lal Mati.
Over the years, she travelled all over the world for concerts, including at one the Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, performing alongside musical greats and, Pt. Birju Maharaj
Birju Maharaj
Brijmo Mishra popularly known as Pandit Birju Maharaj is currently the leading exponent of the Varanasi Kalka-Bindadin gharana of Kathak dance in India.He is a descendant of the legendary Maharaj family of Kathak dancers, including his two uncles, Shambhu Maharaj and Lachhu Maharaj, and his father...
. She often lend her voice the collaborative jazz albums, of her son Trilok Gurtu. In 2000, she featured in the Jana Gana Mana Video
Jana Gana Mana Video
The Jana Gana Mana - Indian National Anthem was a historic video released January 26, 2000 to mark the 50th year of the Indian Republic. It has the distinction of being released by the then President of India, in the Central Hall of the Indian Parliament...
, which was released to mark the 50th year of the Indian Republic, where she sang the Indian National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana
Jana Gana Mana
Jana Gana Mana is the national anthem of India. Written in highly Sanskritized Bengali, it is the first of five stanzas of a Brahmo hymn composed and scored by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. It was first sung at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress on 27 December 1911...
, along with other leading classical singers and musicians of India.
In 1987, she received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
, and later awarded the Lata Mangeshkar Puraskar, Shahu Maharaj Puraskar and the Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar. In 2002, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
.
After reigning over Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
genre, for five decades, as the Queen of Thumri, Shobha Gurtu died on 27 September 2004, and was survived by her two sons.
Personal life
She married Vishwanath Gurtu, and took the name Shobha Gurtu. Her father in law, ‘Pandit Narayan Nath Gurtu’, was a highly placed officer in Belgaum Police, scholar and a sitar player.Her son Trilok Gurtu is a famed percussionist. Her other son is Narendra.
Awards
- Sangeet Natak Akademi AwardSangeet Natak Akademi AwardSangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
in 1987 - Padma BhushanPadma BhushanThe Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
in 2002 - Lata Mangeshkar Puraskar
- Shahu Maharaj Puraskar
- Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar
Further reading
- The Great Indians, by One India One People Foundation. Published by One India One People Foundation in collaboration with Authorspress, 2006. ISBN 8172733186. page 513.